The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1887-12-26
READING employees OUT
To Help the Coal Handlers In Tneir
QuarreIs with the Company.
Quiet Succeeds the Rattle OF Hun
dreds OF Coal Laden Trains.
General Manager Mcleod Declares
the Terms OF the Road.

PHILADELPHIA, Pa, Dec. 24.-The first
convention Of the new district assembly Of
Reading Railroad employees, was held here
this afternoon. The meeting was hurriedly
called TO consider the troubles which have
arisen among the local handlers at Port
Richmond, and Elizabethport during the
past few days, About Is delegates were In
attendance representing every branch Of
employees Of the road, from the coal handlers
to the miners, and including all classes Of
train men. IL was after o'clock when the
convention was called to order, and after
over four hours deliberation an order was
issued for general strike on all lines Op-
Grated by the Reading Company with the
exception Of that in the passenger service.
the order to include all employees at the COM
pany's mines. The order will affect nearly
60,OOO men. Committees from Port Rich
mond andElizabethport were presented TO the
convention. The representative from Eliza
bethport stated that the Knights there were
discharged for refusing to load Cox Bros.
barge. They had understood that the Read
ing company was not to intefere in the
Lehigh strike but to load Cox Bros. barge
would be aiding the Lehigh operators, and
this the men refused 10 do, while many
Schuylkill barges were idle at the piers.
They stated that $50 men had been discharg-
ed, the officials refusing to settle the trouble
by arbitration. A similar complaint OF a
refusal on the part of the officials to arbitrate
was presented by the Port Richmond repre-
sentative.
The convention then went into executive
session, and upon its conclusion announced
that there would be general tie-up Of the
miners and OF freight and coal trains on the
road. IL was stated further that the passen-
ger men would also be ordered out soon II
Il should be found necessary.
General Manager Mcleod said tonight that
the Reading Railroad Company intended to
manage its own affairs. The question In
vOlved, Mr.. Mcleod c0ntended, was not one
of wages, but the far more important suble: t
of whether the company should manage its
own affairs or whether they should be man
aged by It's employees. He had been fOrbear-
ing at all times, he said, granting requests
which were absolutely unreasonable. and
this course was pursued with the sole pur-
pose Of preventing a sale Of its property un-
der foreclosure, and disintegration OF the
whole system.
Another official said that the company In
tended to operate the road with labor picked
up wherever it could be obtained. IL was
intimated that the applications already re-
ceiyed for work furnished an indication that
IL would not Oe difficult to obtain labor
enough to keep the trains moving.
Determination at shamakIn.
SHAMAKIN, Pa. Dec. 25.-An coal and
freight trains on the Mahoney and Shamakin
division Of the Reading road have stopped
running. The men are firm in their deter
minatIon to n~ve no traffic. Owing to the
Christmas holidays. there Is little or no coal
at the mines for shipment. Inc general
opinion Is that this strike and the LehIgh
strike will be adjusted in several weeks. The
support now give the Lehigh men must nee
essarily be stopped.
Quiet ReIgns at Reading.
READING, Pa, Dec. 25.-Over 5soOloaded
coal cars, tmade up into SO trains. passed
through Reading from the Schuylkill coal re-
gion for Port Richmond and other points
south Of this city last Sunday. Today not
single ear has moved. The coal trade Is
practically dead. During the forenoon, over
100 railroaders, whose trains were on sidings
north and south OF the city, passed through
Reading. bound home. Their orders TO
strike were received early this morning. As
far as the railroad crews are concerned, they
promptly Obeyed. General Manager Nc
Leod Immediately telegraphed that every en-
gine attached TO a train lying on siding be
housed and guarded. This was promptly
done, the engines being run to Reading,
POttst0wn and other points. The company
employ dt bUc ouOpo III tuto tAbJ 1bC0s @o@e
men. They will not go out, as they claim
they are not included in the order OF the
Knights to strike. Their leaders in the city
expect such an order soon, however, so as TO
more effectually cripple the company. A
meeting Of the Railroaders' Assembly was
held today, but no definite action was taken.
The prevailing sentiment was In favor Of
standing by the strikers. The agents Of the
Reading Company today actively canvassed
this section for men to fill the places Of the
strikers and enable them to resume the
movement Of trains Tuesday morning. Mas
ter Workman Harman today sent telegram
notifying all ASSEMBLIES Of the decision 10
strike.
The company's Terms.
PHILADELPHIA. Dec. 25.-The following
notice was issued last night, signed by Cen
eral manager Mcleod, Of the Reading Com
pany:
Work viii be resumed Tuesday morning Dec.
81, at Port Richmond. Yard employees viii re-
port for duty at that time. The places of men
who do not report will be filled. The men dis
charged for disObedieaee of orders In refusing 70
move trains TO their places OF destination will not
be permitted TO again enter the service Of the
company In any capacity.